This review may contain spoilers
Worth watching 110%
When I heard about this drama last year, I was very excited. I was looking forward to the 2 main leads' collaboration because both leads had previously done great work. I am primarily a fan of Zhao Lu Si (English name: Rosy). I have seen all her work, and I found her acting very innovative and effortless. She tends to understand her characters very well, and a joy to watch her performance. Whereas Yang Yang, the first-ever cdrama I watched, was Yang Yang, I found him very handsome and hardworking, and I wanted to see more of his work. Both leads from the first episode showed us great chemistry and outstanding acting skills.The characters they are playing make you want to keep watching repeatedly. I have rewatched the episodes again, and I love every minute of it. They are believable in the way they pursue their goals, by Witt and intelligent and fantastic combination of fighting skills, not to forget the romance between the leads and the drama showcase their complex emotions for each other, the world around them, and their values.
The storyline is definitely one of the best I have seen in recent years. The other cast members are very talented and have terrific interactions between them. The first few episodes showcased their fighting skills; they were breathtaking and moving. Later episodes show us a subtle romanticism of how the 2 leads started to see each other differently and the feeling of affection and protection and wanting to see each other; by the way, they would look for excuses to stay near each other for a longer time. The cast has done a great job, and the whole team should be very proud of their work. Definitely keeps us guessing and yearning for each episode.
Looking forward to watching how the leads characters develop and their romance. 10/10
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This review may contain spoilers
love it sm
Ahhhhh Zhao Lusi and Yangyang did so well tgt. The acting, the plot, everything was so on point. The steady romance of Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi hooked me from the beginning, along with both of them having hidden identities as royalty. This was one of my firt classical cdramas, so in the beginning I was confused how they got away with it until I realized they had no Google or internet or anything and could just pass looking like anyone. It took a while to get used to this, but the fact that both the leads had amazing martial arts skills was a plus for me. Most of the time it's the male who possesses these abilities, and having both of them being the top of the spectrum was really refreshing to me. The only little section that triggered me was the ending with Hei Fengxi having only 10 years left to live was a little forced. Idk, I just feel like it wasn't really necessary. But overall I would DEFINITELY recommend to anyone who hasn't watched it yet, it's amazing.Was this review helpful to you?
Excellent
I have to say that I really enjoy the intro footage in a lot of the C-dramas. The artists who create them for the dramas deserve a lot of credit. Tgey are impressive.There are some oddities you might notice in the battle scenes. 1. Battles in the foreground at one speed and then background battles are at hyper-human speed. 2. When the armies are shown in arial view the horses being ridden through the formations are tiny compared to the soldiers themselves.
The wire stunts were done exceptionally well. There were no odd angles in the actors bodies, and the flight scenes were believable with the wind and clothing going in the same direction. I saw no rubber swords flopping around during battle either.
Zhao LuSi and Yang Yang were magical in their chemistry and interaction as their characters. Their growth individuall and together was well written and believable. And, their commitment to each other was portrayed very well.
I do not remember much about the OST, because I was so focused on what was taking place that music wasn’t really important to me.
As a wuxia fan, this drama hits the spot for action, the battle between good and evil, with a side of compassion and the desire for everyone to live peaceably together - with a side of love and self-sacrifice.
Overall, I found this to be a very good production and worthy of rewatching.
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Great watch
I enjoyed my time watching this. It has good story, great characters, and I enjoyed the funny moments. I like seeing a female character who was an equal to her male counterpart, however, for a drama where the female character was supposed to be an equal, it does feel like the drama focused more on the male lead a lot more. I've seen a lot of comments about the female character having to be saved many times, but this wasn't a problem for me, as she did a lot of saving and protecting herself too. The villains were... to be honest, boring, there's not much to say about them unfortunately.I feel it dragged on in the middle, and I wished that they tighten things up in the middle and expand towards the end because that ending... it's just rushed.
Overall, I had a great time watching this drama and it has a lot of entertaining moments, so I'd still happily recommend this to people.
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A splendid story of Hei-Bai Fengxi!!
Who rules the world starts off with a narration about Hei-Bai Fengxi,who are our male and female leads respectively and keeps us seated till the end with excellent plot,perfect storytelling,good pace,beautiful costumes, locations and sets with nice twists and turns.It surely hits off with the audience.Love,sentiment,filial piety,friendship,brotherhood,master-student relationship,emperor-subject relationship,betrayal, jealousy, conspiracies,mysteries,hidden identities,,all were well balanced.
The action scenes were 👌👍
All the actors gave their excellent performances.
Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi were just perfect for their roles.
Everything about this drama deserves a very good rating.
Overall a highly recommended worth watching drama👍
Already added to my rewatch list!!
Thank you to the whole team for such a beautiful drama!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Powerful King and Queen
Who Rules the World" is a 2022 Chinese drama series based on the wuxia romance novel "Let's Try The World" by Qing Lengyue1. The show depicts the adventurous love story of Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi, played by Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi, respectively
2. The story follows the two characters as they join hands to travel the world together
3. The show has a total of 40 episodes and is a mix of wuxia, romance, and fantasy genres.
The show has a great storyline, amazing chemistry between the lead actors, breathtaking cinematography, stirring music, and exciting action sequences.
I feel like I'm going through the same emotions as the characters. This drama is giving me all the feels, it's so intense! The love in this show is so powerful and heart-rending, it's almost too much to bear... AHHHHH suffer LOVE it.
- Hanieh :) -
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The Power Couple to Beat in Wuxia
Finally a strong female character from beginning to end! I didn't know what to expect from Lu Si since she has always played the adorable FL. However, I was convinced she was a strong and wise woman in this one. I was also worried Yang Yang will be all stoic and stone-faced, but I saw all emotions on his lovely face, thank goodness. This was a no-nonsense type of story-telling (except for some ridiculous fight scenes and vfx). Every character's goal was clear and their journey towards it was coherent. There were no annoying petty characters that serve no great purpose but exist only to make the main leads look good. It's still not as female-centric the way Pocahontas carries the story but it's a refreshing upgrade from the "strong" female characters of Chinese costume dramas I've seen. The power couple to beat in any wuxia.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute couple. Strong relationship with little nonsense.
My first review on MDL...this show was so underrated. I loved so much about it. I did read the controversies and complaints. To me the issues were either very minor and more funny than truly concerning (e.g. criticism about her shoes or his clothes) or they were behind the scenes personal issues that should not have impacted reviews and score of the drama itself. As a fan of the leads, I felt sad that they didn't get the full praise this deserved and we didn't as much of the extra side interviews and fun content had they promoted this normally. This is on my constant rewatch list. So many beautiful scenes. And the BTS clips were so funny. I know chances are low but I still really hope they'll do another one together.Was this review helpful to you?
When he proved that he can give up the world for her
This drama lives rent-free in my heart ❤️. It just sooooo amazing. The way Hei Fengxi loves Bai Fengxi is heartmelting and kinda feels like it is unachievable and very elegant . I really recommend this drama to watch. I still can't get over it 😫 😩 while watching you cry , you laugh and just become as one with it . Their love story is really wonderful. They just understand each other without even words. They are from totally different worlds and their representative colors are also different ( hei - black and bai - white ) but their chemistry is just chefs kiss. I still remember all the promises and beautiful words that they said to each others and un short i still can't get enough of themmmm 🥰🥰🥰🥰Was this review helpful to you?
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yang yang and Zhao lusi very nice
Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi are a fated pair. To the world, they're known as the Hei-Bai Fengxi duo, "Hei" and "Bai" as in black and white. They're each other's greatest rivals, companions and partners in crime but also inseparable like light and shadow. It's hard to describe their relationship with just a few simple words."As beautiful as she is lethal." Bai Fengxi is a smart and brave yet carefree heroine who stands in the face of justice. She's a cute glutton when there's good food and a headstrong, cheeky opponent when there's a good fight. Secretly, she's also Princess Feng Xiyun of Qing who's renowned for her intelligence and eloquence.
Hei Fengxi is the embodiment of grace and elegance that's known as a diplomatic and just hero. But underneath that façade, he's extremely cunning and ambitious, just like the endearing nickname "Black Foxy" Bai Fengxi has given him. Like her, he also has a double identity as the Second Prince Feng Lanxi of Yong. From a young age, he was forced to fake illness and learn the ruthlessness of court politics on the path to becoming the royal heir. Hei Fengxi is tough and merciless towards his opponents but incredibly soft-hearted when it comes to his own people, especially Bai Fengxi.
I'm truly in love with the duality of both leads. They're adventurous and playful in the martial arts world, but very dedicated to their royal duties in bringing peace and prosperity to their citizens. There's an unwavering trust and teamwork between Hei and Bai Fengxi that makes them a force to be reckoned with. What's more impressive is that they're both on equal footing where no one side is weaker than the other in talents, martial arts or status. While political schemes and wuxia values do play a major role in the plot, there's a more evident focus on romance.
The chemistry between Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi is so sweet and overwhelming. Admittedly, I didn't know how this couple would pane out in a historical drama but this is way better than any of my wildest dreams. They just click so well together. I can see that both have matured a lot in their acting. Yang Yang has become more experienced with subtle expressions from his role in You Are My Glory, as well as with action scenes from Glory of Special Forces. His background as a contemporary dancer also greatly contributes to the poised and refined portrayal of Hei Fengxi. On the other hand, Zhao Lusi plays the dashing and charismatic Bai Fengxi very well. She's truly badass on so many levels. It's like she has combined the female power from both of her roles in The Romance of Tiger & Rose and The Long Ballad together. Despite the age gap in real life, this pair looks great together on-screen. Though off-screen they're so childish and competitive with each other, it's no wonder Yang Yang said they have the same mental age as a 5-year-old.
This drama also has a very vibrant side cast. Xuan Lu as Feng Qiwu is such a girl crush and I love it when she teams up with Bai Fengxi, total femme fatale style. It's nice to see Wei Wuxian's martial sister kicking up a storm and fighting like a general. The kid playing Han Pu is such a sweetheart. He's a smart little cookie that knows how to bring the vibes. Feng Chang, played by Zhang Tian Yang, is a great older brother. He's protective of Hei Fengxi and really cares for him. Zhang Feng Yi pulls a very convincing act as the sly and cynical King of Yong (Hei Fengxi's father). It's heartbreaking to see Hei Fengxi suffer at his father's callousness.
We can't not talk about the excellent production from the director of none other than Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry and Under the Power. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous and really highlight the duality of the leads. Those high pony tails and headpieces are just chef kiss. The scenery, action scenes and CGI are seamless. I love how Hei Fengxi uses the fan and Bai Fengxi uses her silk ribbon, it's such an effortlessly cool way to fight. Plus, those flying sequences are so satisfying to watch. While the last few episodes do feel a bit rushed, the overall plot remains fairly coherent and easy to follow. As prementioned, it's not supposed to be full-on political, like for say Nirvana in Fire, but emphasises more on the journey of Hei and Bai Fengxi as they traverse the world and discover what is truly the most important in life. Admittedly, there've been a few controversies and problems with the production crew towards the later part of filming, but this drama has turned out to be a fine one so all credits to the cast and staffs.
The OSTs are very complementary as well. Unparalleled (无双) by Liu Yuning is so empowering and intense. Except it's a bit strange to hear from Zhao Lusi's lover in The Long Ballad, if you get what I mean. My favourite got to be Breath of Wind (风息) by Tiger Hu and Ye Xuan Qing as it's very fitting for the Hei-Bai Fengxi couple. A Dream Come True (一梦浮生) by Silence Wang is like a sweet love confession. While Like A Dream (如梦) by Sunny is like a bashful reply to that confession. Lastly, Orphan (孤注) by Tan Wei Wei is the emotional song that hits you least expect it.
*If you're confused about the politics and would like some clarifications, CloudA has put together a fantastic background summary in the Discussion forum below.
FAVOURITE QUOTES:
“If I die, no one will know your [Hei Fengxi's] true face. Life will be boring.” Bai Fengxi
“I can hide anything from the world. Yet, I can’t hide anything from you [Bai Fengxi].” Hei Fengxi
“They always say to love until the ocean and earth run dry. We both know that these are just false promises. To me, I only want to hold your [Bai Fengxi's] hand until the end of life.” Hei Fengxi
“I met you [Bai Fengxi] when I just started in the martial arts world. And thanks to you, I saw the kindness of the world. And thanks to your company, I know what true feelings mean. It’s all thanks to you that I gave the world another chance.” Hei Fengxi
“They said sometimes you had to lose one thing in order to gain another. But some things are too painful to be let go. I can’t let go of her [Bai Fengxi] no matter how hard I try… I can let go of all my mortal desire except for this one. I can discard three thousand strands of woes but let me keep this one strand… Let it bind me for the rest of my life.” Hei Fengxi
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Martial Arts
Oh man I loved this. Some will not rate it high but I will. Everything about this drama was awesome. I loved the fantasy! I loved the Martial Arts! The visuals, the design, all were awesomely good. I love the main lead, Yang Yang who is one of my favorite actors... his acting skills are spot on. Zhao Lu Si, the more I see the actress, the more I love her. She played a part that I love the best, being that strong and courageous woman. The romance is perfect between the main characters had me in such an emotional state from crying to being happy to crying again. This is what loves looks like too bad it was fiction. Love for one another is never violent but is there unconditionally for one another. I have always longed for this type of love but never had it. Maybe that's why this is fiction. I thank all the other actors and actresses in this drama... I keep seeing one of my other favorite actors in dramas. Leon Lai, he such a great actor.Was this review helpful to you?
